


Interest Rates

by R_4_L



Category: One Piece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 12:40:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16492796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_4_L/pseuds/R_4_L
Summary: The reason why Nami charges Zoro, and only Zoro, interest on personal loans; especially when she's actually just in charge of splitting up the money, not loaning it out.NO romance.Done as a tumblr request.Sorry if it feels choppy but I didn't want to make this stupid long.Feb 9/19 ReEdit to help it flow better, hopefully it reads better





	Interest Rates

**Author's Note:**

> One Piece is the property of Eiichro Oda, I write for fun(and to stop the voices)

Nami's relationship with Zoro was unconventional to say the least. She had seen him in the punishment yard at Captain Morgan's base and watched as Luffy recruited him. Not that she knew who either of them were at the time, but as a good cat burglar she listened to the town's gossip and knew the story. The bounty hunter was going to be executed just because he stood up to the Marines. The weird kid with the hat stopped it. Weeks later when she ran into funny little guy with the straw hat again it had been an opportune time for her. She called the man 'Captain' and threw him to the Buggy Pirates without a second thought. Of course the finding out the map she stole was a fake meant that she had to get into the clown's good graces and the air head of a pirate walked right into her plans. She betrayed Luffy to Buggy the Clown, and watched the bounty hunter swordsman not only show up out of the blue to defeat his opponent, Cabaji; but also carry Luffy, cage and all, off the roof to escape and he was injured.

When she joined the crew, she honestly questioned her own sanity. A pirate crew of three, who the hell did that? Luffy was definitely the captain, he had the charisma to draw people in. She'd have to make sure that she did some research on devil fruit users. She had always thought they were a myth, but watching the way Luffy's body stretched definitely wasn't normal. As for the other member of the crew, Zoro was something of an enigma. The swordsman was strong, really strong. If Luffy was Captain then Zoro was a close second. His strength scared her because if Zoro asked her to leave Luffy and follow him, she just might do it. If Luffy was going to be King of the Pirates he was going to need Zoro's strength. How was she going to prevent this? 

When they fought against the Meow brothers and Captain Kuro in order to help Usopp save Kaya and his village, Nami once again was amazed at how strong the pirate hunter was. Zoro and his three sword style of fighting was phenomenal. He took blows in order to protect Usopp, and when she literally walked over him to get to the other port he could have taken it out on her. Instead it was the pirate who felt the edge of his fury and blade. It was beautiful and terrifying to watch. He was so strong and he never failed to protect her or Luffy, even if the later didn't seem to need it.

Meeting up with Johnny and Yosaku gave her insight into green haired man's psyche. They talked about meeting Zoro when he was just starting out as a bounty hunter and what he was like then. How honorable he was and what he taught them. What they did, was give her an edge. She knew that person's basic make up doesn't really change. Zoro was the same man, he and just agreed to follow Luffy as Pirate Captain instead of wandering as a bounty hunter. That the same honorable man Johnny and Yosaku knew from before, the one that would make sure that all debt were paid in full before he left the crew. That would be her edge over him, it was the only thing she had. After all if they hadn't changed, neither had she. Money still ruled the world, or at lest her portion of it. Making notes for her journal, Nami wrote out her plans to keep the swordsman at their side.

She took her time and did her homework, filling page after page of shorthand notes on each of the crew. She created a contract and made him sign it, of course she had one for Luffy and Usopp too and she let him know it so he didn't feel like he was being singled out. She wasn't going to tell him what was in their contracts, after all that was confidential. It also helped that he didn't really read it. She suspected there was something else there, something that he was embarrassed about, but she wasn't going to push her luck so early in their relationship. She was just happy to have have his agreement to pay back any loan she gave him.

"So basically this states that whenever we find treasure it is split equally amongst the crew after expense for the ship are taken into account. That includes repairs, dock fees, food and booze. When you need money after that I am able to charge interest, starting the moment the money is in your hands." She didn't specify an interest rate nor the fact that even if he doesn't use the money she's still charging him, per minute he had the money. He'd never be free of her.

"Whatever sea witch, just let me sign." Zoro took up the pen and made his mark. "You said the other two have contracts as well?"

"Yeah, it's pretty standard to make sure that ships fees gets paid for first." Nami gave him her most charming smile. The one that usually had all the men falling all over her to please her. Zoro, however, didn't react at all. 

The Baratie was another first. A floating restaurant. Luffy of course had to cause a ruckus, but the food was fantastic. Nami was losing faith in her ability to charm men into doing what she wanted them to. Neither Luffy or Zoro seemed at all impressed with her feminine charms. Johnny and Yosaku only seemed to react every once in a while. Having Sanji gush over her was refreshing and a boost to her ego. If Luffy could convince him to join things might look up. 

Life however, never seemed to be on her side. She had forgotten that Johnny and Yosku were bounty hunters and as such they had wanted posters. There in her hands was her past, come back to haunt her. The red head let her mind work, there might be a way to turn this to her favor. If she could get the Marines involved and collect Arlong's bounty....yes, that might work. She tricked the two bounty hunters into letting down their guard long enough to get them off the ship while everyone else was distracted by the Krieg Pirates. 

She hadn't wanted Luffy to be involved. He was a pirate and pirates couldn't be trusted, but when she asked for help he had said yes. He had given her his precious hat to hold and said yes. Nami was confused, maybe they'd wait until after the fight to make their demands, either way she was going to watch. Nami watched the way Luffy, Zoro and Sanji fought Arlong's men. The three of them together were amazing and then Luffy got himself tossed into the he sea. Sanji dove in after him and she was scared for his life. Watching the way Zoro faced off against Arlong alone gave her hope, until she noticed the bandages. When the hell did he get injured? He was fine when she left the three of them only a couple of days ago. Still he fought hard. When she realized just how injured he was, she was scared for his life. He was so strong, and Arlong just ripped off those bandages, was he going to bleed to death? When Luffy pulled him from Arlong's grasp she breathed a sigh of relief, and watching Luffy pummel Arlong Park into dust had that relief blossomed into full fledged hope. Luffy screaming that she was his friend told her he wouldn't be asking her anything in return.

She knew that once they made it back to town that Dr Nako would be able to help them all heal, at least physically. After all if the Doctor could save Genzo, he could save Zoro. 

Cornering Usopp as Sanji, she listened as they spoke of Zoro's fight with the warlord Hawkeye Mihawk and how he had lost before they had made it here. Dr Nako went over the swordsman's injuries with Usopp, and Sanji, letting them know what to expect and what to do to keep the mosshead healthy for the next little while. 

"Who gets into a sword fight like that one with only the most basic of first aid." Dr Nako was patching up Nami as he went over the same basic information on Zoro, that he had with the rest of the crew. "Nami, he only had a couple dozen stitches and bandages holding him together until I got a hold of him."

"How many did you end up using?" Nami was curious now. Even to her untrained eye a couple dozen stitches didn't seem like enough. He had been sliced from shoulder to hip.

"Well over three hundred inside and out. Plus three pints of blood." The Doctor fixed the tattoo Nami had been given as a child to one of her choosing. "I don't know how he did it Nami." Leaving Cocoyasi village she charged Zoro 150% interest on Dr Nako's medical bill. He didn't need to know that none them had been charged for medical services. 

Heading to Loguetown the group split up to get supplies. Zoro needed money in order to buy some new swords. He had almost paid off his medical bill. The guy was so diligent on making his payments. Even though it was thanks in a large part to his strength and skill that they were able to make ends meet, the swordsman hardly ever kept more then half of his share. Instead he would have her put it towards his loan. This stop was going to be more profitable for her. Zoro hadn't been able to replace the swords he lost back during his fight with Mihawk. Nami would loan him the money, this time at 300% interest. She was willing to loan him enough to buy two fair swords. She may not be able to wield them, but she had a good idea of their cost. 

Zoro cringed. He didn't want to borrow money from their navigator. He hated the way she would gloat over the money he owed her. It seemed to take forever to pay off any little loan he had. He would have turned her down flat, but he really felt almost naked with only one blade.

"100,000 berries, how the hell am I supposed to get blades for that amount." Zoro stormed around the town trying to find a good swordsmith. He sure as hell didn't plan to run into her.

She was happy, Zoro would stay with them for a while yet. The deal she managed to get on the clothes she tried on made her feel even better. Spying the Marine base she kept a weethered eye out. When she saw the green haired man just inside working with their enemies, Nami just about swallowed her tongue. Surely the marines wouldn't have hired Zoro on. There was bound to be trouble because of his past both as a bounty hunter and as a pirate. They might be willing to overlook it though because of his skill as a swordsman. He was an extremely honorable man. If Zoro decided decided to go legit, they would have almost no chance as a crew. How would she tell Luffy? She turned and walked the streets, her mind in a daze until she ran into Usopp. The long nosed sniper didn't know what was going on, but he knew enough not to bother her about it.

"Hey, Nami. There's a cooking contest going on over there. Wouldn't it be funny if Sanji was taking part in it?" Usopp was doing what he could to get her mind off of whatever it was that was bothering her.

Together they watched Sanji win the cooking contest. He was an amazing cook and put on a wonderful show.

"Nami did you see me win?" Sanji's love struck comments had her smiling again. The Blue-Fin tuna was a fine prize headed towards the ship. Things came to a head all at once. The weather was changing, and not for the good. Zoro found them, claiming he had been separated from Luffy. Then there was Buggy, and they found out that the marines knew where Luffy was. She was glad that Zoro was back and she wasn't going to ask any questions about why he had been with the marines. At least not in front of the others. She use it as blackmail material later, so maybe she'd hold it reserve.

Whiskey Peak gave her another clue to how Zoro operated. She wasn't as drunk as everyone thought. Overhearing that he'd been offered a position with Baroque Works was a surprise. Watching him take out the millions was like watching a deadly ballet. He was beautiful in his sword play. She watched as Luffy got angry and started fighting Zoro in earnest. It really was two monsters fighting; and she was just glad when they stopped. If they ever did decide to become enemies, she wasn't sure just who would win.

Sailing to Alabasta, Nami pulled out her debt book and increased Zoro's interest rate by another 50%. She wan't sure it was fair to increase the interest just because he scared her, but she was doing it anyways.

"Nami, are you ok?" Vivi was setting up her bed for the night. The two women shared a room, it saved them from trying to modify the Going Merry, but it did make for some tight quarters. At least it wasn't like the boys' quarters. Nami wouldn't go down there at all. Four hammocks, even though there was just the three of them, in a room the same size as what she and Vivi shared. No wonder Zoro slept in the crow's nest most of the time.

"Yeah just a little warm." Nami turned in her seat. She wanted to ask her opinion on the crew, on their chances of staying together and getting through the New World, but Vivi wasn't really a part of them. The princess was really worried and concerned for her own country and rightly so.

Nami had no memory of falling sick, just of Sanji, Usopp, and Luffy running around screaming. That really didn't surprise her. The times she was lucid she could swear that Zoro or Vivi had been there taking care of her, but that couldn't be right. She remembered feeling cool and a lot of bouncing around. Waking up to see a walking, talking, blue nosed reindeer was a bit of a surprise; but it was the grand line after all. Of course the crew was embroiled in another fight, she just lay in bed as long as could before she was forced to get involved. Luffy was not going to walk away from a fight. Especially when he knew there was something he could do. Meeting Dr Kureha was definitely a trip and a half, and Zoro called her a witch. She wondered if he had met the doctor yet? Nami was almost scared to leave the little reindeer in her care, but after seeing the way she sent Chopper off with them, she knew the reindeer had been well loved. 

Chopper added a whole new dynamic tot he crew. Watching the little doctor chase Zoro around the ship and treat all the wounds he had that still hadn't fully healed made her smile. Her smile grew as she watched the gentle way Zoro treated the little Zoan. Sure he'd pull off the bandages as soon as he thought he could get away with it, but he would still wait at least until the wounds had scabbed over. Zoro was always gentle with the little guy. Surprisingly he was the one to help both Chopper and Luffy in a regular bath and the first one to dive into the ocean to pull them out when they did something stupid and went overboard.

It was almost a month later and they were safe at Alabasta Palace. Meeting Luffy's brother Ace, Nami saw another side to her Captain. When he gave Luffy his vivre card it gave Nami an idea, something she'd have to look into. The fact that Zoro knew the strength of the Whitebeard Pirate, shouldn't be surprising anymore. Zoro was often like a wild animal instinctively knowing where the strongest beings were and putting himself directly in their way as a test to his strength. 

The Alabasta library was amazing, the books they had on the grand line, well there were just too many for her read and make notes on.

"You are free to take some of those."

The voice of the King almost had her jumping. "Excuse me?"

"You brought back my daughter and helped to save this country. If you want to take a couple of old books that no one ever reads, then please go ahead." King Nefertari smiled at the joy that crossed Nami's face.

"Thank you, I will definitely take you up on that," she watched as the librarian behind the King shuffled from foot to foot. "I'll make sure to let your librarian know which ones I will take." 

The librarian gave a sigh of relief. The books she had gained from King Nefertari in her arms, she sat by Luffy's bed. Chopper and Vivi had helped her in taking care of the goof, which took a larger load off her shoulders then she realized. Movement outside the window caught her attention. There in the back of the palace amongst the rocks and rubble were two extremely large boulders moving. At first she thought it was a sink hole opening up, but watching the way they moved with slow precision could only mean one thing. Zoro was training. When he came in less then an hour later, her suspicions had been confirmed. She had seen him take down Mr. One, seen him find his swords buried in the rubble. When he had finally collapsed in the street from blood loss, she wasn't sure how she was going to get him back to the palace. The fact that he woke enough to help when she tried to move him once again proved how strong he was. He had been drapped all over her and hadn't tried to cop a feel or anything, granted he had bleeding from various wounds and half dead at the time, but still. She still needed to ask him about that female marine. Who was she? How did he know her? This had been the second time that they had run across each other and Nami was a little worried. The puzzle that was Zoro was growing as were her notes on the swordsman. However, that would have to wait for another time, the King had set up a celebration. The banquet was wonderful, she was sure that they had never seen Pirates party, and of course no one eats like Luffy. 

Nami hadn't seen a bath as luxurious as the one at the palace, but if she had her way they'd find a way to fit one on the Going Merry. Even if it had to be smaller. Having Sanji and Usopp trying to spy on her and Vivi wasn't much of a surprise; and if she really thought about it, Egaro and the King weren't that much more of a stretch. She was pretty sure that Zoro would have been up there if it weren't for the fact that she was definitely going to charge each one them 100,000 berries for peeking. The ones that really surprised her were Luffy and Chopper. 

Leaving hurt. The ride to the ship was a quiet affair, she didn't want Vivi to go, she really liked having another woman to talk to. Of course the fact that Luffy turned down the reward before she could say anything didn't help.

Escaping the marines and getting used to Robin being on the ship took some time. She watched the way Zoro was with Robin. Luffy took her story at face value and welcomed her in. Nami knew that he had some kind of interaction with her just before Crocodile was defeated. The King had told them all what he had witnessed between the Luffy, the Warlord and second in command. He had admitted to blacking out once or twice and not fully understanding all the nuances between Robin and Crocodile, but it was clear that Robin had tried to kill the Warlord and failed. Luffy being Luffy saved her. Sanji just saw another woman and he was putty in her hands. Usopp and Chopper were both suspicious but also weak and easily swayed. No if she wanted an honest opinion of the woman she'd have to watch Zoro. He didn't trust blindly, and while he treated her fairly and with honor he was still keeping an eye on her. It wasn't until they were back on the ship with their treasure from Skypiea that the Nami had a chance to corner Zoro alone. Her conversation with Robin during the celebration rung in her head.

"He saved me." Robin was amazed. She was normally so reserved, but the swordsman's actions had her flustered. "You saw what God Enel did to us. Zoro saved me. Why? I know he still doesn't trust me, so why didn't he leave me to die?"

It broke Nami's heart that this woman expected to be betrayed by everyone she met, "Zoro wouldn't leave you to Enel because you are part of the crew. He may have his doubt, but they are HIS not Luffy's and Zoro will follow Luffy's word to the letter. Give him time, Zoro is slow but he's methodical. As long as you don't put the crew at risk, he'll change his mind."

Zoro walked over to the lone chair in the women's quarters. He set his swords off to the side and sat with his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm only keeping one tenth of my share of the treasure. You can put the rest of it towards whatever it is that I owe now." 

Nami pulled a small book from her bedside drawer, "well I have to say Zoro. You're the only one to make such regular payments on your loan."

"Yeah I'm also the only one you charge interest to as well." The swordsman watched their navigator closely, "and you better not have charged me your happiness hunch or whatever you called it from Alabastia. I wasn't one the perverts on the wall."

"No you weren't and I'm curious as to why that is Zoro?" She figured if she got him talking maybe she could figure out a way to raise his loan. She didn't want to just increase the interest rate randomly, if she legitimately increase the base amount, she would have a good reason to have this payment be only a partial one. The swordsman was annoyingly prompt on making his monthly payments. If she could go back to Alabasta with it then the accrued interest would add months to the loan.

"There were a number of reasons," he raised an eyebrow as he looked over at her, "Do you really want to know or are you just being polite?"

"No, Zoro, I really want to know." Now Nami was really curious, what had been running through Zoro's mind while everyone else peaked?

"Look, first of all, I don't agree with ogling women just because they've taken off their clothes or are beautiful." His voice was gruff as he explained.

Well that answered why he and Sanji fought so much over women. Nami knew it wouldn't have been because Zoro saw women as below him, if anything it was the opposite. Zoro saw women as being equal and disliked how Sanji played favorites. She kept quiet, silently please he called her beautiful, but nodded to encourage him to continue.

"I respect you too much to look at you as a sex object. Also I didn't see a reason to increase my loan for such a silly reason. At least silly to me." Zoro really didn't want to piss her off with that last comment nor did he want to explain that it was the sight of his other crew mates bodies that got him excited. "Looking at you or Robin naked would be like looking at a sister and it feels wrong." He smiled to himself, that should keep him out of trouble.

"Alright, thank you for explaining." Nami's respect for Zoro grew with his explanation. "The problem is, you won't be getting a share of the treasure."

"What? Why?" Zoro was going to slice the sea witch into little pieces and and toss her out for chum if this was just a ploy for her to keep collecting interest.

"I want to put it to the rest of the crew, but I'd like to put the entire treasure towards something else."

"If you want to buy yourself another wardrobe I'm going to have something to say about that," he was really mad now. What the hell was she trying to do?

Nami just cocked her head to one side and gave a sly smile, "Zoro, you should know better then that. No there's another lady that needs some TLC," because she could see that he was really starting to loose his patience, she didn't try to beat around the bush anymore. "I want to stop by a real shipyard and get an honest to goodness shipwright to take a look at the Going Merry. We've put her through hell and she deserves some quality repairs. Not that Usopp isn't doing a good job, but..." She trailed off.

"Yeah, I get it. He tries and does what he can, but he's no shipwright." Zoro's temper cooled fast. She was right, the Going Merry deserved their best. "Alright, I'll back you. Not that I think you'll get any complaint from the crew, but you never know." Knowing now that he couldn't make the lump sum payment like he wanted too, there was no reason to remain. "I'll see you up on deck."

The red head watched him walk out the door. "That went better than I expected." When she had heard the old man from the G-8 marine base tell Usopp to take care of their ship, she knew they'd have to do something drastic. Putting the treasure towards ship repairs was the only thing to do. It was one of reasons she had pulled Zoro aside to talk. If she could get him on her side, everyone else would agree without a fight. Well, she wasn't completely sure about Robin, but she knew that having a logical argument would go a long way with her. Straightening her room out of habit instead of necessity, her lips curled in a wicked grin as she held her loan book in hand. "He left without making a payment." She noted down the date, Zoro had walked out, a little distracted with the idea of putting the money towards the Going Merry, and he didn't make his usual payment. That meant even if he remembered and paid her the next day, she could still charge him late fees. 

****  
Nami was scared. They had lost the money for the Going Merry. Been robbed really. They had been told that the Going Merry was unrepairable and it was like a blow to the heart. Watching Usopp and Luffy fight was even worse. Nami thought they crew was going to fall apart. Zoro refused to talk about Usopp and Robin was no where to be found. How were they going to survive? Being chased through the city for assassination wasn't something she had planned on either. Luffy wanted to find out what was going on and the only way to do that was to talk to Iceberg. That meant storming the place. There was only Luffy, Zoro, Chopper and herself for this as Sanji was off after Robin. Nothing went as planned, honestly she didn't even know why they made plans anymore, because Luffy always went off on his own and Zoro got lost walking in a straight line. Facing CP-9 was daunting, she knew that they'd have to take on the World Government at some point, but this was a little scary. Chopper was the one to save them, and talking with Iceberg and finding out the whole story behind Robin's betrayal, well that was the last straw. Now she just had to find out where Luffy and Zoro were and they could get Robin back.

Nami was at her wits end. Aqua Laguna was upon them. They had barely gotten Zoro and Luffy out in time. Robin was with CP-9 and Sanji had stowed away with them on the sea train. Now she was running around trying to make sure that everything was ready to tackle the World Government. Did she really want to fight them? No, but she wasn't going to leave Robin at their mercy. Granny Konkaro said there was another sea train and they were going to take it. The train really was a rocket. Oh God, what had she gotten herself into?

Having the Franky family along was sure to be of some help, and Iceberg's men were strong. She watched the way Luffy and Zoro fought against the wave. After Zoro took down Marine Captain T-Bone, Nami was cornered by Zambai.

"Miss Nami, ma'am. Can I ask you a question?"

Nami looked away from the window. "What would you like to know?"

The current head of the Franky family looked to be nervous, like he didn't want to be overheard. "Is... Is Zoro really the first mate? I mean he's strong."

Nami smiled, while she watched Zoro fight his way out of impossible situation all the time, the fact that someone else was amazed by his skill still shocked her. "Well yeah, because Luffy is the captain."

"So you mean Strawhat Luffy is even stronger then Zoro?"

Nami had to think about it. "He's stronger in a different way."

"So why doesn't Zoro lead his own crew?"

And right there, Zambai voiced Nami's deepest fear with regards to the swordsman. Why didn't he have his own crew? One of these days she was going to have to find her courage and ask him. Right now there had more pressing matters to worry about. Like how to get Robin away from Enies Lobby without getting everyone killed.

 

***

 

Thriller Bark had exhausted all of them. Sure they had beat Moriah and somehow survived Kuma, but now reality was settling in. Chopper had asked that they stay for a couple of days due the severity of their injuries. Nami sat down beside the little doctor. 

"How is he Chopper?" Nami looked down at Zoro. They had all been amazed that the Warlord had left them alive after vowing to kill them all, even more amazing was how energetic Luffy was. She had been looking for the last two members of their crew and so had seen Sanji rise, look at the Luffy and then panic. When he had started running after spying something on the ground, her curiosity had been raised. Seeing Zoro's beloved swords abandoned on the rocks had an icy chill run through her bones. He couldn't be? She bit on her hand to hold in a cry of despair, she'd wait until the cook returned to see what really happened. When Sanji had carried him over the hill hours later, she swore the green haired first mate was dead.

Chopper fussed with bandages across his chest. "I don't even know how he's still alive. I've given him blood to help replace what he's lost, but the amount of damage he sustained doesn't match his fight with Moriah."

Nami turned that over in her mind, "that means he must have fought Kuma."

"The Warlord? Is Zoro strong enough to fight him and win?" Chopper tried not to get too excited. He knew that Zoro was strong, but was he that strong? "His body was so beaten, and the amount of blood he lost." The Zoan shook his head, "there's no obvious wounds to account for the blood loss, it's almost like he was so pulverized that the blood just seeped from his skin. If that's the case, then Zoro shouldn't even be alive."

"Hey Chopper, I brought Zoro meat, and booze." Luffy bounced over to the sleeping swordsman. "Why is he still sleeping?"

Chopper knew that his captain was anxious to be on his way, but Zoro was still too injured to move yet. "He's still too injured Luffy." Chopper looked up as the rest of the crew gathered around their most injured crew mate. "We need to stay here another 36 hours at least, before I feel comfortable moving him to the ship."

"Will he be awake then?" Luffy's child like question boarder on moronic.

The doctor shook his head, "no, I want to keep him unconscious for at least a couple of days. I'll have to wake him up to get him on the ship and make sure that he gets some food, but the longer he sleeps the better chances he has of healing."

Sanji was uncharacteristically quiet, "I can make a nutrient packed broth that we can get him to drink even unconscious, that way his body has what it needs to heal."

"You know how to do that?" The lack of food had been one thing that had worried Chopper the most. He knew that if the swordsman was awake he would be trying to train and he needed to heal. For that he needed sleep. 

Sanji blushed a little, "Carnie had a head injury that had him unconscious for a couple of days and Paulie had helped to nurse him. I'll talk to you about it later. If we're going to be sticking around for a bit, Luffy; I'll need you and some of Lola's crew to go fishing." He glared in the direction of two of Lola's crew members, the two who had said they knew why Zoro was so injured. Nami had tried both her feminine charms and money but the men had stayed quiet after talking to Sanji. 

Usopp and Sanji erected a curtain of sorts around Zoro to give the healing man his privacy. Sanji took over feeding Zoro and the rest of them took turns sitting with him to make sure that he wasn't alone and no complications arose. Twenty seven hours later Zoro walked onto the ship as they set sail from Thriller Bark, and that night Sanji helped Chopper drug him back to sleep. Chopper asked that he and Sanji be the only ones to look after the injured man. Luffy and Nami would take over the evening watches, Brook volunteered for the overnight shift, while Robin and Usopp would cover the day. It was two days after they left the zombie island before Zoro woke up. Four days earlier then what Chopper wanted. 

Sanji stood inside the men's cabin where Zoro had been recovering. "So, I know what Chopper told you. No strenuous training for the next week." Zoro snorted as he sat on the edge of the bed, pulling a shirt over his head. "Now I want you to listen. Really listen to what I'm going to say." The cook puffed on his cigarette. "I know what happened with Kuma. So does Brook, in fact he saw it. I know you want to get back to training. Personally I think you should follow Chopper's direction to the letter and here's why. Right now we have some down time. Take the time to heal properly so you can help Luffy and I protect the rest of them when they really need it. Think of it as a different form of training. You can likely help with the night watch again, but if you lay off on the weight training, it should help you become stronger in the long run."

Zoro watched the cook flex his fingers. It was likely one of the few times he had listened to the cook without wanting to beat the curly browed man. He needed to get stronger, that fight with Kuma still felt like a failure; and he had promised Luffy that he would never be defeated again. The only reason he hadn't interrupted was because his throat was so parched, that swallowing was hard and he knew talking would hurt.

Sanji sighed and sat beside the mosshead, handing him a glass of water, "I know what you're thinking. You haven't failed Luffy. I remember the vow you made after Miwhawk. Your fight with Kuma doesn't constitute a defeat. Kuma expects you to die, and you have won just by surviving. So now you have to show him one better and heal. Take the time we've got to get stronger."

"Yeah, I know." Zoro let his body relax a little. He'd follow the doctors rules. "Who's been covering my shifts on watch." 

"Nami's been taking a lot of them," Sanji almost laughed out loud at the frustration on Zoro's face. It was a small lie, but Nami rarely asked him for anything and a chance to pull one over on cactus head, well that was fun.

Zoro stood on the deck, watching the horizon and the crew. The skeleton was a strange addition. Brook was a good swordsman and would definitely help on the protection front. He was just as much a pervert as the stupid cook was, so he'd have to watch and make sure that things didn't get too out of hand. If he made the women too uncomfortable, well maybe it might be better to warn the guy ahead of time. They would have to deal with the fact that more then half the crew had devil fruit powers. Watching Nami walk out of her tangerine trees, he winced inwardly. She was going to charge him for this, he just knew it. He just wasn't sure how much it was going to cost him. "Sanji. How long was I down?"

The cook looked up at the sky, "We were on Thriller Bark just over a day after your fight with Kuma. Since then it's been another two days here on the ship. Chopper was hoping you would stay asleep for another couple of days at least."

"Damn it three days." He struggled to get to his feet.

"Zoro, you were inches from death, three days is nothing. If it had been anyone else they'd be dead."

The swordsman huffed, that maybe true but at the same time he knew how much Luffy relied on him to help keep the crew safe. "Whatever. Don't you have a cake to bake or something?" He watched as Sanji storm off and leave him alone. The swordsman took his time taking stock of his body. Slowly he rotated his arms and neck, did a couple of squats, twisted at the waist and bent to touch his toes. "Well there's some muscle stiffness but not real pain. I'm tired and weak, damn but I feel weak. If I had to admit it, I'd say I'm at about 60%." He really could likely use another day or two in bed but that just wasn't his style. Looking forward to the fresh air of the open sea that the crows nest provided, Zoro was met with chaos caused by a new island sighting. "Hey, what island did we come across now?"

"It looks like a man made spa island," Robin stood beside the swordsman, a cup of coffee in her hands, "your navigator would like to go aboard. She's looking at this a way for all of us to recover, at least for the day."

"Not bad, she does have some good ideas." Zoro looked at the rest of the crew, he might have been out of it for three days because of his injuries, but the rest of the crew had to do their own jobs plus his and they were injured too. It was just a question of how much this little day spa trip was going to cost him. He knew she was going to charge him not only for covering his the five days he was out of it, but also for the spa.

 

****

 

Meeting Hachi again after Arlong Park had put a real strain on Nami's emotions. Sure Sanji and Luffy had voiced their support, but really it was Zoro's warm hand on her shoulder as he moved to position his body in front of hers as a silent human shield that had her speechless. He would protect her. When Camie was taken as a slave, it was just one more thing for them to fight. Robin had told her about the discrimination, but Nami hadn't wanted to believe it, now it was right in their face. She had thought they could buy Camie back and get out of there, but with an opening bid of five hundred million berries, Nami was floored. Who had that much money to throw around? Luffy hitting a celestial dragon hadn't been in the cards, but then this was Luffy they were talking about. 

The brawl at the auction house helped get everyone on back on the same page. Sure meeting Hachi and seeing Camie chained had been an emotional land mine, but what better way to get things back in order then to beat something up. Zoro just grinned as he started to cut his way through the guards. He could feel the three strong auras throughout the building and was waiting to see if they were going to attack or just sit there. Having the old man come striding out of the holding cells without a care in the world was unsettling. Watching him do seemingly nothing and yet still have all the guards pass out meant he could be considered a threat. Having those two other strong auras still be awake worried him. 

"Straw Hat, I've been wanting to meet you for a long time." The old man walked to the edge of the stage, spying Camie front and center and fighting that had been going on elsewhere. "Yes a long time now. Oh sorry, I didn't realize that there were others here." The old man's comments were directed towards the men in the back.

It was Robin who clarified just who they were. Captain Eustass Kidd and Trafalgar Law and their crews. Understanding that the old man was not only the coating specialist they were originally looking for but also the legendary Silvers Rayleigh, Gol D. Rogers first mate explained a lot of things. 

"We have you surrounded." The echo of the marine from outside, said that they'd need to fight their way out here, not that it was actually that big of a surprise. 

Zoro almost wanted to stand back and watch Luffy, Trafalgar Law and Captain Kidd fight. He wanted to analyze their style because he'd need to know their weaknesses for later. Who was he kidding, he wanted to be a part of it, fighting either the marines or the other pirates it didn't matter all that matter was that they were stronger and could make him stronger.

What scared Nami the most was running away from the Kuma style pacifists afterwards. It looked like they were going to get away, but this guy was strong. Luffy had them split up with the plan to meet up again in two days. She was scared for Zoro, he was still healing and nothing any of them did had any affect on the warlord. Zoro was the first one to disappear in front of her eyes. Seeing the way Usopp and Brook fought to try to protect him to no avail broke her heart. Even Sanji raced over to try and save his rival. Luffy gave the order for everyone to run and while she didn't want to leave, Franky pulled her along. They weren't going to make it. Franky shoved her behind him before Kuma made him disappear. When the warlord reached for her, she reached out for Luffy. Her last thought was of her Captain.

Waking up in an unknown place was terrifying. On some visceral level she knew, she just knew that she was alone. Nami ignored the tears that threatened to spill, she didn't want to be weak, not when she didn't know if she was safe.

Days later the news that Ace had died right in front of Luffy broke her heart. She scoured every newspaper, every picture trying to gleam every little detail. She could see Luffy and some of the other big names but none of their crew. She was so sure that if anyone had been at his side it would be Zoro. The man could get lost walking out of a closet, but would find the strongest opponents without fail. The fact that Luffy was alone, and Ace was dead. Nami cried for them both, the poor weather scientists on Weatherpeia had no clue how to deal with her. She needed to get back to him. She tried to steal a weather transport to get back down to the blue sea. It reminded her a lot of Skypeia and her memories of that place weren't all pleasant. By the end of the week she was out of ideas, aside from just jumping. Seeing the newspaper and the secret message gave her hope. A hope she hadn't felt in what felt like forever. Nami's fingers traced over every inch of Luffy's image. He no longer had that care-free smile, in fact it didn't look like had slept in a very long time. She just wanted to hold him close, and let him know that she was there, that she cared, that she would help him remember Ace.

 

***

"Hello Shakky."

The bar keep of the Rip Off bar turned at her name. "Nami, how nice to see you again." The tall woman poured a drink and passed it to the red head. "You're the third one to arrive. Franky is out with Rayleigh going over the ship and coating specs."

Nami gave a sigh of relief, if Franky understood how the coating worked then they'd be okay. She'd make sure that asked Rayleigh how it worked as well. Best have two of them that knew how things worked. "Third? So who is the other one?"

"I am." The door opened and Zoro walked in, "I've been here three days now. You're late."

Nami couldn't believe how grateful she was to see the green haired swordsman. With a shaky voice, she called his name, "Zoro," her hands went to her mouth as she slid off the chair and took a tentative step towards him.

"Hey, are you ok?" Zoro rushed forward to pull Nami into his embrace. Not finding an enemy in the area he started to worry, "you're not hurt are you?" He wouldn't forgive himself if she was hurt and he could have protected her. He swung her up into his arms and carried her over to table in the far corner. "Talk to me Nami, you're alright aren't you?" He looked her over but didn't see any visible injuries.

"You came back." The navigator was openly crying now, "Zoro, you actually came back to the crew."

"What? Of course I came back. Nami?" Zoro was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You're so strong Zoro. You could have left to form your own crew."

"Nami, I'm a Strawhat until Luffy disbands the crew or I die. Luffy is my captain. Period." 

Her crying slowed to a hiccuping mess and she stared into her lap. "Everyone is always talking about how strong and honorable you are, and how you should have your own crew. I know you won't leave until you've paid your debt, but even I know that you have the makings of a good captain, as long as you find someone who knows their directions." Her head popped up when she realized just what it was she had said to him. "And I'll deny ever word of this if you try to repeat it."

Zoro looked at Nami, was she seriously worried about this? "Nami, how long have we been together? Three, four years now? Yes, two of those years we were separated, but they were only so we could all become stronger. I will not abandon you guys. Is this what you've been worried about?" Something clicked in the back of his mind, it couldn't be? He'd better ask, "is this why you've been charging me such a high interest rate? I know that you never charged Chopper or Usopp interest."

She nodded slowly, "I didn't want you to leave. He's so much stronger when you're around. I maybe the navigator, but you're the first mate, the one who helps to keep him on task and focused. You're the only one he really listens too. Luffy needs you. We need you." The last was almost a whisper.

Zoro reached over and pulled her into his embrace again. Generally he hated physical contact, but Nami needed it. "We're not just nakama, we're family. I will not leave you, any of you."

The pair spent the next hour talking things over and clearing up all the little misunderstandings. 

"Well, I think I'm going to go into town. It's been a really emotional day." Nami, drained her drink and left the bar.

The swordsman looked out the window and watched as his crew mate made her way into town. 

"Did you get things sorted?" Shakky brought over a bottle of sake and set it down on his table.

"Hmm," Zoro looked at the bar keep, "thanks. Yeah we, I guess we settled things. Now we just need to wait for Luffy."

"What are you going to do in the mean time?" Shakky cocked a hip against the table.

"Maybe go fishing." Zoro looked towards the north, Shakky, didn't need to look vivre card to know that was the direction Luffy was in. The swordsman seemed to have his own internal vivre card for his captain. "I've got a day or two before everyone else gets here."

Shakky smiled and went back to her seat. She might have to change her thoughts on just which of the supernovas was going to be King of the Pirates. Yes, Luffy and crew were an interesting bunch of characters


End file.
